Martinsburg gazette. (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1886-1887, 1887-03-04

COMMONLY cold for TIE time Of year.
Its leaving q warm cabin makes You
feel Il, he said, wishing meln pleasant
watch, and the next moment / was up
there alone.
1T was pitch-dark night, and q
thick veil Of blackness seemed to wrap
the ship from stern to stern. There was
no wind and the sea was quiet, the still
ness only broken by the dull, regular
throbbing OF the great engines as they
steadily drove her along. / glanced
ahead and could barely distinguish the
watch forward and then turned aft
and saw the dim form Of the officer III
charge Of the deck leaning against the
port door Of the wheel house.
''All was right, and ! began to pace
slowly aeross the bridge from side to
side, watching the white CLEAN Of the
phosphOrescent water as il raced past
aud tiailcd away into the dark expanse
behind us. / remember thinking what
q nutshell this powerful ship was there
ia the midst Of the boundlcss ocean, and
how but thin plate Of iron was between
the hundreds Of souls now sleeping help
less below decks and the graves thou
sands of fathoms down among all tn
hideOus creatures that live in the sunless
depths. Twas reused out Of my musing
by the voice Of the captain, who had
come up to see II all was right, as he
generally did several times during the
night. for he was always alive to the
fact that he had valuable ship and pre-
ci0us lives under his care, and nothing
ever made him forget it j have heard
him say to some gentlemen who pressed
him to join them in bottle of cham
payne to celebrate the speedy arrival OF
his vessel of the Irish coast
!. i am much obliged to you for the
kindness which prompts the request but
we are nearing land, and this night, of
all Others, I must keep o cuol head and
q clear eye for your sake and my own.
Well, as I was saying, the captain
came alongside and said
.slIoW's her head, Mr. Brown?n
w. N. W., quarter w. sir, an
swered, with glimpse ut the binnacic.
hight it is--keep it so 7 he babe me
good night. and watched him 60 along
the deck forward to speak to the watch
on the fok'scl.
Then I began my walk again, aud
AhJ hh0uSh Ills SitppSA away uUuAC, tHu =
wondered how my wife and youngsters
we're. lived over again in fancy the
days | had spent ashore during my last
leave, and then, somehow, memories OF
my boyish days crept in.
Suddenly curious sensation came
over me and utterly banishcd all dream
ing. / cannot tell you what caused it,
but powerful feeling Of terror oyers anne
me, and / trcmbied like a palsicd old
man. A great sense OF dread Of some
thing terrible about to happen seized me
something, knew not what; and
strovc against it in vain. chung to the
bridgcsrail in. front, and tried to pull
myself together, and grew calmcr as
the low voices Of some OF the men for
ward fell upon my ear.
'Thompsoni l called; and the
burly boatswain's mate came toward
me with the easy roll Of q seaman, and
touching his cap, said
Did yc want me. Mr.. Brown?
Everything right ~ the watch
awakcl'n asked
Yes, sir; bat it's pitch dark, and
we can't see live yards ahead. Jim Dix
on $ for'ard'u
Take look round yourself, I re-
piled. Il
while the mate was gone, the terri
fled feeling seemed TO leave me, and in
it, place an indcfinablc and hay but
powerful impression gained upon me that
must do something, but what could
not make out. You have no idea
OF the awful agony / was In, and how
strovc to lind out whatit was that now
felt impcllcd to do. My brain seemed on
fire, my temples throbbcd as though they
would burst, and strange buzzing
sounded in my cars. ! felt as ifI was GO
inc mad and the fhnilUhf If fhe GREAT